Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 42-year-old Eric Marshall of Grand Island has been sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns to 3 to 9 years in prison.

Between July 2009 and July 2016, the defendant defrauded three women, stealing a total of more than $300,000. Marshall met two of the women, who lived out of state, on online dating sites then pursued a relationship with each one.

One of the women gave the defendant $700 a month for almost seven years, believing the money was being used to purchase a rent-to-own house. Also, she gave him money for clothing, travel and other expenses.

The second woman paid approximately $1,500 a month, several loans and $8,000 to fix a water leak on a non-existent home that she thought they were invested in.

The third woman also gave the defendant money for a house she thought they would be living in.

Marshall pleaded guilty to three counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree in May 2016. The defendant has paid over $280,000 in restitution to the three victims.

“As online dating and social media proliferate, so does the chance that a person can become a victim of a crime,” said DA Flynn. “Mr. Marshall lied to these women, pursued what appeared to be a long-term relationship and scammed each one out of tens of thousands of dollars. I urge people to be more proactive in researching who are they engaging with online and giving their money to.”

DA Flynn commends Detective Daniel Brinkerhoff of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office for his thorough investigative work.

Candace K. Vogel, Chief of the DA’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau, prosecuted the case.